Catching up with Devon's birds

My apologies as my posts are all over the place at the moment; currently just catching up with the final Devon holiday post and then......

As regular readers of my blog will know, when I was in Devon a couple of weeks ago I mentioned the birds on the premises. Where I was staying was a Victorian Farm House (now occupied by our hosts) and two converted barns. We are right out in the middle of the countryside with our nearest human neighbour about 1/4 mile away.

The bird life was great. Many of the normal garden birds were regular visitors and the usual Swallows were nesting. About 6 adults I saw but the nests were still being attended and I believe they were eggs at this stage - no sounds from the nests at all. Our hosts have some cats and it was always apparent when they were in the "yard" as the Swallows would dive bomb the cats - who, in turn, weren't the least bit bothered by this.

As I mentioned in a previous "holiday" post - we concluded that there were 2 sets of Spotted Flycatchers. A pair had taken up residence somewhere near our barn and occupied the gate opposite and the nearby trees.

Richard had put up a nest box following a nest being made on top of an old oak fence post (propped up in the wood store), so the Flycatchers would have something "safer" in which to nest. For a couple of years nothing happened until this year when a pair successfully laid 2 eggs.

BUT the MEGA bird of the holiday was a visiting Hoopoe!! Di had kindly emailed me in advance and I'd hoped it would still be around when we visited - it was!! I heard it on 3 mornings and saw it one one morning. It was very early (about 6 ish) when I heard it and crept out. It flew from the tree in which it had been calling; perched briefly on a dead branch of a tree and then flew down the lane. Off I shot but when I arrived in the lane it was to see the Hoopoe disappearing into the fields beyond. So - no pictures but very much a lifer for me :D

A few pics.

Mostly the weather was dull and grey which didn't help when taking pictures of distant birds!!

These two, a male feeding a female I think, we our regulars and am sure were nesting somewhere very close to our barn.

Photographically horrid but just liked the content :D

They would always occupy the same perches and this was in one of the nearby oak trees.

BUT - over on the other side of the property, this is where the other pair were nesting in Richard's nest box.

Just gone in...

a quick turn around...

and a snuggle down keeping the two chicks warm..

On another evening when the sun was acutally shining I managed to get a couple of shots as one of the adults came back to the nest. They always perched in the same spot, but it was only in the sun for a very brief time each evening.

And on a day we had sunshine!! one of "ours"...

and just so the Swallows don't feel neglected..

I didn't get many birdy pics around the farm mostly because of the weather. But it was wonderful to have Spotted Flycatchers as neighbours and wren nesting above our doorway :D

Hear's to another year....